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Title: COTTON FIBERS: PROPERTIES AND INTERACTION WITH FLAX FIBERS IN BLENDS (FOCUS ON ROTOR SPUN YARN)

Author
item McAlister Iii, David
item Foulk, Jonn
item Akin, Danny
item ANNIS, PATTI - UNIV. OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Faserinstitute Bremen Cotton Exchange Meetings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2002
Publication Date: 3/15/2004
Citation: McAlister III, D.D., Foulk, J.A., Akin, D.E., Annis, P. 2004. Cotton fibers: properties and interaction with flax fibers in blends (focus on rotor spun yarn). Faserinstitute Bremen Cotton Exchange Meetings.

Interpretive Summary: IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN FLAX/COTTON BLENDS, PARTICULARLY IN APPAREL. FLAX FIBER IMPARTS CERTAIN DESIRABLE PROPERTIES TO YARN AND FABRICS. MANY EVENTS IMPACT FLAX AND COTTON FIBERS, SO RESULTS FROM THESE FIBER PROPERTY TESTS MAY HELP WITH BLENDING AND FURTHER PROCESSING IN TEXTILE MILLS. COTTONIZED FLAX IS PRODUCED FROM HACKLED TOW PROCESSED THROUGH A SERIES OF OPENERS AND CLEANERS TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF FLAX FIBER TO COTTON STAPLE LENGTHS. COMPLETE PLANTS WERE CHOSEN OVER TWO TO RETAIN AS MANY BENEFICIAL FIBERS AS POSSIBLE FOR YARN PROCESSING. THE STALKS HAD BEEN DEW RETTED, BALED, AND PROCESSED ON THE COTTONIZING SYSTEM. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES ONGOING WORK THAT HAS ACHEIVED A ROTOR SPEED OF 71,000 RPM WITH 25/50, 50/50, AND 75/25 FLAX/COTTON BLEND ROTOR SPUN YARNS FOR DENIM APPLICATIONS.

Technical Abstract: FASHION DICTATES WHAT FIBERS AND YARNS WILL BE UTILIZED TO MAKE APPAREL AND OTHER TEXTILE FASHION ITEMS. IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN FLAX/COTTON BLENDS, PARTICULARLY IN APPAREL. TRADITIONALLY, FLAX HAS BEEN SPUN AS "LONG LINE" STAPLE LENGTH, AS WOULD BE THE CASE IN THE SPINNING OF WOOL ON A RING SPINNING SYSTEM. HOWEVER, LATELY INTEREST HAS INCREASED IN THE UTILIZATION OF "COTTONIZED" STAPLE LENGTH OF FLAX FIBER, AS IS THE CASE WITH COTTON FOR ROTOR AND RING SPINNING. PROCESSING SHORT STAPLE FLAX IS NOT NEW, BUT PROCESSING AT PRODUCTIVE SPEEDS IS AN IMPEDIMENT TO EFFICIENT PRODUCTION. PAST WORK HAS SHOWN THAT ROTOR SPINNING OF COTTONIZED FLAX FIBERS WITH A SYNTHETIC FIBER OR COTTON HAS NOT REACHED BEYOND ROTOR SPEEDS OF 60,000 RPM FOR YARN LINEAR DENSITIES OF 25-100 TEX FOR SYNTHETIC BLENDS AND 50,000 RPM FOR YARN LINEAR DENSITIES OF 25-40 TEX FOR COTTON BLENDS WITH 50% FLAX. THIS PAPER WILL DISCUSS ONGOING WORK THAT HAS ACHIEVED A ROTOR SPEED OF 71,000 RPM WITH 25/50, 50/50, AND 75/25 FLAX/COTTON BLEND ROTOR SPUN YARNS OF LINEAR DENSITY 98.42 TEX FOR DENIM APPLICATIONS.